South Tyrol and the Winter Olympics

With the start of the Olympic biathlon events in Antholz, attention also turns to South Tyrol's long Olympic tradition. The region celebrated its first successes at the Winter Games 90 years ago – the beginning of a success story that continues to this day.

February 06, 2026

By: Christof Thöny

As the biathlon competitions soon begin in Antholz, it's worth remembering that the history of South Tyrolean success at the Winter Games began 90 years ago in this very sport. The first Olympic champion came from the military, which had given winter sports a significant boost during the First World War and in the decades that followed. Alois Prenn (1913-1943), an officer from Kiens, won the gold medal at the 1936 Winter Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, held in Nazi Germany. Under the Italianized name Luigi Perenni, he was known by three colleagues from the military patrol.

After the First World War, the athletes of South Tyrol came under the umbrella of the Italian National Olympic Committee, founded in 1914. At the 1924 International Winter Sports Week in Chamonix, later recognized as the first Winter Olympic Games, the Italian I team in the bobsleigh race consisted of five South Tyroleans: Ludwig Obexer, Max Fink, Paul Herbert, Josef Steiner, and Luis Trenker – the latter a well-known name. However, their sporting success was limited; the five-man team only managed sixth and last place in the standings.

Successes from 1956 onwards

South Tyrol achieved great sporting success at the Winter Games starting with the competitions in Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1956. The first medalist in a long line of medalists was Renato Mocellini from Vahrn, who, along with his teammates, won the silver medal behind the Swiss bobsleigh team. By the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, athletes from South Tyrol had won 47 medals in various winter sports.

The list of achievements includes numerous illustrious names. One of them is Gustav Thöni, the most successful South Tyrolean Olympian in winter sports. The ski racer from Trafoi, who will celebrate his 75th birthday shortly after the conclusion of the Milan and Cortina Games at the end of February, returned from Sapporo in 1972 with two medals at the tender age of 20. He lived up to his favorite status in the giant slalom, winning the gold medal, while in the slalom he was only beaten by the Spaniard Francisco Fernández Ochoa.

Thöni as flag bearer. © Ski Tracks Archive

In his native South Tyrol, many people watched the races and successes of their compatriot on television in the middle of the night. Thöni completed his collection of Olympic medals four years later in Innsbruck with a silver in the slalom. Later, he enjoyed success at the Winter Olympics as Alberto Tomba's personal coach and as a member of the Italian national team.

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Keywords Winter sports Olympics 2026 Gustav Thöni